


Matchmaking

by Angylsmuse, Orithain



Series: Fourth Pass [40]
Category: Dragonriders of Pern - Anne McCaffrey
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-28
Updated: 2017-01-28
Packaged: 2018-09-20 11:41:55
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,685
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9489602
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Angylsmuse/pseuds/Angylsmuse, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Orithain/pseuds/Orithain
Summary: Matchmaking never works... does it?





	

**Author's Note:**

> Originally posted January 2004.

The light breeze ruffling his short, golden brown hair, Greenrider R’que tossed another pebble off the heights and stared pensively out towards the territory he and Seranaeth had sworn to protect. A territory that, until the Thread had started to fall again, had considered Capri Weyr a burden to support. The deadly spores had been falling from the skies for less than a dozen Turns and despite all the Turns of preparation during the Interval, everyone, from the Weyrleaders down to the newest weyrlings, was still a novice at fighting Thread.

And barely two Turns ago the Southern Continent had been rocked by a Plague that had cut a decimating swath through the population. Nothing had been safe; dragons and dragonriders in their Weyrs, lords and ladies in their holds, cotholders, workers, drudges, even the animals had been vulnerable. The casualties had been huge, the mourning prolonged and full of pain. And some had yet to get over it.

People like himself, R’que thought with a pained sigh. He might not have lost as much as some, but he’d still lost his entire family: he’d lost his twin sister, Martienne, the one who’d taken care of him and had been his tower of strength. Now R’que felt alone and scared and bereft, even a Turn after her death.

_You have me, Rider,_ came the soft croon of his lady along with a gentle of nuzzle of her snout.

“I know I do, baby. I wouldn’t have made it through without you. You’re all I’ve got left now, the only one who loves me and looks out for me. But sometimes... sometimes I want arms to hold me, someone to comfort me when I wake up with nightmares. Someone to _love_ me, you know?”

_I understand... J’stice comes._

“Hey, Justy.”

“Hey yourself. Just wanted to let you know you’re coming to dinner with me tonight. Chal’s got night drills, and I want company. I’ll come get you, okay?” J’stice replied with a grin then turned and walked away without waiting for an answer.

_Make sure he doesn’t back out, okay, Seranaeth?_ the young HAD asked his friend’s dragon.

_Don’t worry, friend J’stice, he will be ready,_ the knowing little green replied with a draconic smirk. _And he will be pretty too for whomever you want him to meet._

_His name is Mat, he’s my cousin, and he needs to take care of someone as much as Ric needs someone to take care of him. Mat just doesn’t know it yet,_ Justy smirked as he clambered up Lyriketh’s back, intent on guilting his recalcitrant cousin into having dinner with him.

***

“You’re gonna make me eat alone?” Justy pouted at the glowering bluerider. “C’mon, Mat. You know how much I hate eating alone, and N’chal’s on night drills. Besides, we’re _family_ ,” the greenrider pouted, his violet-blue eyes filling and his lower lip quivering. “Please??”

M’tis glared down at his cousin, telling himself that he’d be cracked to give in. He _knew_ Justy could turn on the tears whenever he wanted to. He _knew_ that his cousin was just trying to set him up with yet another greenrider that the young HAD thought would be just “perfect” for him. He sighed, admitting that knowing all that didn’t matter. It was impossible to look at those big, tear-filled eyes and not give in to him.

“Brat!” he growled feelingly, black eyes flashing as he raked his hands through his long, straight black hair in frustration. “So, what’s his name?” he asked, letting J’stice know that he hadn’t fooled him. “And why should I let you set me up with yet another greenrider? I’m happy as I am, you know. Not everyone yearns for your brand of domestic bliss. I _like_ having different partners every sevenday!”

“Okay, so I did invite someone else to have dinner with us, but he’s not your type. In fact it’s probably better if you don’t come to dinner. I mean he’s so naive and innocent, and you’re so sharding—well, you’re a slut, Mat. No other word for you. Besides he’s too good for you.” That said, Justy turned and walked away, hoping that he hadn’t overplayed his hand too much. He was relatively new to this whole concept of bait which his friend C’lan introduced him to - something about dangling a carrot and such. Hopefully he’d dangled enough of one with Ric that Mat would show up just to prove Justy wrong.

Fortunately his cousin walked away while Mat’s mouth was still hanging open; he wasn’t sure their friendship would have survived his response to being called a slut. He sometimes forgot just how sheltered Justy had been as a child and how much of the holder mentality he still had. Still, M’tis was less than pleased by the situation, and he determined to meet this paragon of a greenrider and impress the socks off him!

***

Mat arrived at at the weyr Justy shared with his bluerider in plenty of time for the nightmeal, but he saw that there was already a second green curled up beside Lyri. “So,” he muttered, “time to meet the greenrider who’s ‘too good for me.’”

He wiped the frown off his face and strode inside confidently.

Justy looked up from the couch and had to take a quick swallow of wine to hide his smirk. _Gotcha,_ he crowed silently before schooling his face into a look of slight disapproval.

“Mat, thought you weren’t coming after all,” he said slyly. “Ric, this is my cousin, M’tis, rider of blue Ashtaroth. Mat, my friend R’que, rider of green Seranaeth. Would you care for some wine, Mat?” Not waiting for an answer, Justy got up from where he was sitting next to Ric and went to pour a glass.

“Uh, hi. I didn’t realize J’stice had f-family here at the Weyr. He’s lucky,” R’que replied quietly, his eyes downcast and his lower lip trembling.

Things were just too close to the surface today. He should have said no, shardit, but between Whirlwind J’stice and his steam blower of a dragon he couldn’t have gotten out of it if he tried - which he had.

“I’m not sure how lucky it is,” Mat replied dryly, still giving his cousin a dirty look rather than concentrating on the other greenrider. Finally, he turned to the other man, holding out his hand, only to hesitate when he saw R’que’s expression.

“Are you all right?” he asked, wondering just what his cousin had gotten him into this time.

Forcing himself to smile brightly, Ric tried to put things out of his head, if only for the space of dinner. Besides, the bluerider was handsome, and he’d make a good temporary distraction until R’que could make his getaway.

“I’m fine, thanks, just a little stuck in the past for a moment. I’m over it now. So, how come I haven’t seen you around before? I mean since Justy adopted me and made me his newest pet project.”

“I did not,” Justy pouted, handing Mat the wine and then sitting in the only chair in the room, effectively forcing the two to sit next to each other.

A raised eyebrow let J’stice know that M’tis knew exactly what he was doing, but the bluerider sat down, leaving room for the other man next to him. “We just haven’t happened to run into each other, I guess. I’ve been around but I keep... busy.” He smiled a little reminiscently, thinking of the greenriders and weyrworkers who were what kept him occupied when he wasn’t flying Thread.

“So what did you do to make Justy decide that you needed to be mated?” he asked with a charming smile in his cousin’s direction.

“M-mated?” R’que squeaked, looking at his friend. “Oh no, no way. Forget it, Justy! I don’t care if he’s your cousin, he’s cute or he’s the best lay on Pern. I’m outta here!” Jumping to his feet, his brown flit, Cantor, appearing above his head to chitter angrily at the people who’d upset him, Ric bolted for the door and Seranaeth.

“Way to go, Mat!” Justy yelled, taking off after his friend. “Ric, wait! I wasn’t trying to mate you to Mat! I wouldn’t do that to my worst enemy let alone my friends!”

A few moments later J’stice stomped back in, thoroughly peeved. “Believe it or not, I _wasn’t_ trying to mate the two of you. I just wanted Ric to have a nice night out where he wasn’t moping over his twin’s death and try to live a little bit.”

“You’ll forgive me if I have a little difficulty believing that, cousin. Ever since you got here, you’ve been trying to pair me off with every half likely man you saw. The funny part is that I’d probably have liked him and gone after him myself if you weren’t throwing him at me.

“Like I said earlier, not everyone wants to be mated.” He shrugged. “So, are you going to feed me or not?”

“Not!” Justy pouted. “You go and apologize to him, M’tis, or I swear I’ll tell Aunt what a rude boor you’ve become at the Weyr, and she’ll box your ears!” the younger man threatened.

“I didn’t do anything to apologize for!” Mat glared. “It’s not my fault your little plot backfired! And if you’re not going to feed me, I’m going to the dininghall before all the food is gone. See ya!” He stomped out to the ledge, fuming all the way.

It really was a shame though. If it weren’t that it would give Justy _way_ too much satisfaction, he’d love to go after the pretty greenrider.

“You told him I was trying to get him mated, you Thread for brains. All I wanted to do was get him fucked! Like I could _ever_ see some one as nice and sweet and _innocent_ as R’que with the flavor of the day boy!” Justy yelled right back then satisfied his temper by smashing a glass against the stone wall. “JERK!” Sniffling, the young man went to curl up on his bed and wait for his mate. N’chal would understand, and he’d hold Justy too. If it weren’t for the fact that he was so crazy in love with his bluerider, he’d wish for someone just like Chal for Ric. Someone like Chal would know how to treat R’que like he deserved.

***

R’que found a quiet corner in the dininghall and ordered a flagon of red wine and some cheese and grapes to nibble on. Well, the food was actually pretense; the young man had it in his head to get quietly drunk and spend tomorrow, his rest day, sleeping it off.

Oh, he knew Justy was trying to get him flown, but mated? That cousin of his seemed like he enjoyed stirring trouble, which was what Ric was beginning to think had happened. Just an over puffed bluerider blowing a lot of smoke with no fire.

He’d have to apologize to Justy when he was sober again. But for now... Ric began to quietly work his way through his first then his second flagon of wine. Maybe he would let himself get flown tonight, then again what was sex without love, really?

Mat stalked into the dininghall to find something to eat, the expression on his face so thunderous that the men who would normally have joined him, seeing him alone, all shied away. If he didn’t love Justy so much, he’d shake some sense into that curly blond head! Why couldn’t the little fool understand that he didn’t want to be mated?

He was starting to feel a little regretful over involving the other greenrider, R’que. That had to be why, when he spotted the man, he crossed over and sat down at his table, eyebrows rising when he spotted the empty flagons.

“I think I—and Justy!--owe you an apology, greenrider. My cousin has been trying to get me weyrmated since he got to the Weyr, but I suppose it’s possible that this once he wasn’t. He does seem to think you’re too good for me,” Mat added wryly.

“Jush-Justy’s a good kid. He means well, I s’pose,” Ric replied with a smile. “An’ I’ve been doin’ some checkin’ on you. You’re a canine, you know that?” the greenrider snickered, half drunk and feeling no pain.

“Have you really slept with nearly three quarters of the unmated greenriders in the Weyr and some of the blues too?” the younger man continued, a little in awe. “I mean, donchu ever get tired of tryin’ to keep all the names straight or somethin’?”

_Oh my!_ Mat bit his lip trying to keep a straight face, not that he really thought R’que was capable of noticing much just then. “You forgot about the weyrworkers and candidates,” he teased gently. “I wouldn’t want to deprive anyone of my company.”

_Ash, would you ask his dragon to come down here? I’ll try to get him onto her and back to his weyr._

_I will ask, rider. Is he injured in some way?_

_No, just a little too much wine. But he should go sleep it off._

“Come on, R’que, you need to get some sleep. Your lady is on her way to get you and take you to your weyr.”

“Y’mean y’re not gonna take me back to _your_ weyr an’ have your wicked way wit’ me? Y’re reputation is gonna get tarnished, bluerider. They’re gonna say that you might actually have a heart to go with your overshized libido,” Ric replied with an owlish blink and a lopsided smile.

“Y’know, if you weren’t such a... well, what Justy said you were, I think I could actually like you. But I like nice men, and you’re not a nice man, are you? You’re a _bad_ man.”

M’tis sighed heavily. “R’que, I know you’re not exactly yourself, but I should warn you that if one more person calls me a slut today, I’m going to punch him in the mouth!”

Again infuriated, he yanked the greenrider to his feet and slung one of his arms over his shoulders, supporting most of the deadweight. “This would be a lot easier if you’d pick up your feet at least occasionally,” he snapped acerbically.

_Ash, is the green here yet?_ He was desperate to wash his hands of this whole situation and go find himself a nice, uncomplicated greenrider to fly.

R’que managed to find more than enough coordination to yank himself away from the bluerider in a fit of humiliated rage, a rage that helped burn off some of the alcohol swimming in his bloodstream but also made him more than a little foolish.

“Why don’t you go bend a tail, you big oaf!” he snarled, stamping on the bluerider’s foot and storming back into the dininghall where he promptly picked a handsome bluerider who had more of a reputation than M’tis and plonked himself in the older man’s lap, cooing and wriggling like a wanton looking to be laid.

Mat groaned and rolled his eyes. He knew sharding well that the greenrider was too drunk to know what he was doing, and Justy, not to mention himself, would never forgive him if he walked away and left him there. Growling imprecations under his breath, he again stalked across the dininghall, this time coming to a halt beside the squirming greenrider and rather startled-looking bluerider.

“Excuse me, I think I misplaced something,” Mat said politely just before he grabbed R’que and tossed him over his shoulder. When the greenrider squawked and tried to get free, he smacked him sharply on the ass.

“Stay still! And be quiet, you little brat,” he growled, heading straight for Ash. He was going to dump the crazy greenrider in his own bed and try to salvage some part of this night.

“Owww, you hit me,” Ric sniffled, then the sob that had been sitting in his chest all night finally broke free, followed by another and another until the greenrider was gasping for breath in between hiccups and trying to hide his face, hardly aware of the strange glances they were both getting.

“You... you’re mean! I don’t like you at all,” the younger man managed to choke out between sobs. “What’d I ever do to you, other than have dinner with your cousin? You didn’t have to slap me!”

This time Mat sighed. He shifted Ric so that he was carrying him in his arms, cradled against him, allowing the greenrider to hide his streaming face against his chest. “Shhhh, baby, it’s okay,” he said softly, managing to settle himself on Ash without losing his grip on the other man, and that despite the worried green and the frantic flit.

Following Seranaeth’s directions, Mat got R’que back to his weyr, but he couldn’t find it in himself to leave the sobbing young man alone. He sat down on the bed, back supported by pillows, the greenrider still cradled in his arms. “Let it all out, R’que,” he crooned, realizing that there was a lot more going on here than one abortive romance or being set up by Justy. What had his cousin said, something about a dead twin?

“Sh-she left me. She was the only family I had left, an’ she died on me,” the younger man sobbed guiltily. “I miss her so much, all the time. It hurts. She was my _twin_. She was everything I’m not, smart, strong, brave, beautiful, outgoing - she was so wonderful. Why did she have to die, not me?”

Mat just held him, stroking his back soothingly, knowing there was nothing he could say. He wished there were some words that could make R’que’s pain go away, make sense of everything for him, but there weren’t. All he could do was hold him and let him know he wasn’t alone.

After a long while Ric’s sobs turned into sniffles, and he burrowed into the older man, clinging to him like a lifeline. “I know you don’t like me very much, but can you please stay with me tonight? I miss someone holding me so very, very much. Almost as much as I miss Martie,” the greenrider asked quietly.

The bluerider’s arms tightened around the younger man, and again he looked startled. “Where did you get the idea that I don’t like you?” he asked, surprise clear in his voice. “You’re beautiful and sexy and sweet when you’re not insulting me,” he added, half laughing. “I may not like my cousin trying to organize my life, but there’s nothing about _you_ not to like.”

“But you... I never... you do?” the younger man blushed. “And I wasn’t insulting you, not really. I just wish I could be that casual about, well, about flying. I know I have to when Sera rises but, I dunno, I guess I don’t like the way I feel afterward - like it didn’t mean anything.

“I guess I should have been born in a hold, not the Weyr. I like the idea of falling in love, of having someone who wants me every night, who can fall asleep just holding me, someone I can wake up with and laugh with and cry with and fight with. It sounds wonderful.”

Mat leaned back more fully against the pillows. “You can still have that here, you know. Look at Justy and Chal and all the other weyrmated pairs... or that crazy armscrafter and his harper,” he added with a laugh. “That’s _why_ I never spend more than a couple nights with the same person, R’que. I refuse to settle for less than that.”

He smiled crookedly. “Of course, if you ever repeat that to anyone, _especially_ Justy, I’ll deny it. But don’t give up on love, little greenrider.” He was only a few Turns older than R’que, but he felt ancient compared to him. “You’ll find it... or it’ll find you.”

“Well, it hasn’t found me yet, has it?” R’que pouted even as he cuddled closer. “Mmmm, you’re comfortable. And you smell nice too,” the young man yawned, curling up more tightly into the older man’s arms. “An’ I like the way you hold me. Feel safe...” the greenrider mumbled as he drifted off to sleep.

Mat stared down at the sleeping greenrider, not sure whether to be complimented or insulted. “Safe,” he muttered. “Not exactly what I usually hear when sharing a bed with a greenrider.” He sighed, spared a moment to wish he’d removed his boots before settling down, and closed his eyes, wondering how R’que would react the next morning.

***

R’que came awake slowly, feeling more relaxed and peaceful than he had in the long months since his sister died. Stretching, he found his arms blocked by a strong body underneath him. His eyes shot open to see Bluerider M’tis.

A smile spread across his face. He could get used to this, to being in this man’s arms. Unfortunately, the man in question didn’t want to get mated; he just wanted to sleep with a new partner each sevenday, or so he’d told his cousin. “Guess I’d better not get my hopes up, hunh, Cant?” the greenrider said to the flit who was staring up at him from the pillow next to Mat’s head.

A faint rumble announced that Mat was beginning to wake up. Long accustomed to sharing his bed, when he felt the weight of a body on top of him, he automatically drew the other man closer to kiss him good morning. His tongue explored the soft lips then urged them apart to slip past, allowing him to taste his bed partner. His body was already rousing to his warm armful when his eyes shot open as he remembered the previous night.

He nearly leaped across the bed, much like a frightened virgin, and wide black eyes focused on the greenrider. “R’que!”

“Well, so much for saying that you liked me,” the younger man sighed as he managed to keep himself from falling off the bed after being all but tossed to the edge of the mattress. “There are, however, ways of letting me down that also don’t have me flying off the furniture, you know.”

Mat raked a hand through his already sleep-tousled hair in frustration. “Why can’t I do anything right with you?” He took a deep breath. “Look, let’s not start the whole I-like-you-no-you-don’t thing all over again. I was _trying_ not to take advantage of you once I woke up and realized where I was. And before you get all insulted, let me repeat, I was _asleep_.” He rubbed his eyes. “Jays, I would give anything for some klah.”

“Did I act like I was protesting your _taking advantage_ of me?” Ric huffed, standing up. “And if you want klah, you know where it is; I’m sure your dragon is still outside. He, at least, seems to have some manners. Seranaeth actually seems taken with him. Shards, she’d better not let him fly her next time; I don’t think my ass would survive the morning after. I’d end up on the floor for sure!”

Stalking out of the room, the greenrider stripped off his sweat-soaked and stale-smelling clothes, wanting nothing more than to get clean and forget about the rude man in the other room if he could.

Mat stared after the other man, flopped back on the bed and let out a scream of total frustration.

Ric came flying out of the bathroom, dripping water and wearing nothing, eyes wild. “What? What happened? Oh shards, are you hurt?” The young man crawled over the bluerider, trying to discern any injuries or figure out if it was a seizure or something. “Cant, go get a healer - and Justy. Hurry!”

Conceding defeat, Mat caught hold of the greenrider and rolled them over so he was on top, looking down into startled brown eyes. “I don’t need a healer or Justy. Especially not Justy.” Not giving Ric a chance to reply, he lowered his head, kissing the greenrider again, this time fully aware of what and who he was doing. He lowered himself fully on top of the younger man, letting him feel his arousal.

Eventually he raised his head to look down at kiss-swollen lips, dazed eyes, and a flushed face, and he growled his pleasure at the sight. “And you don’t think you’re beautiful?” he scoffed, kissing Ric again. “Tell me to stop.”

“Don’t stop, please?” R’que moaned, arching up into the older man, his damp skin clinging to Mat’s clothes and his sensitized erection becoming ever harder against the sturdy fabric of the older man’s pants.

Mat pulled him closer, rubbing against him, knowing what the denim of his pants felt like against Ric’s hard cock, teasing him. “Help me undress,” he breathed, sitting up finally to tug at his sharding boots, wanting to be naked, to feel their bodies press together without anything between them. He was hampered by needing to reach over and touch R’que every other moment.

Giggling quietly, the greenrider was more of a hindrance than a help as he was more interested in petting sisal-smooth skin and licking his way up a shoulder or over a rippled abdominal muscle then smiling with a playful grin.

Ric finally decided enough was enough and straddled the older man’s lap, their erections rubbing against each other as he returned the kiss he’d been given with interest. “Aren’t you undressed yet?” he purred after he broke the kiss off.

“Shaffit!” Mat cursed in frustration. His boots were off, his shirt gone, his pants undone... it was enough. He flipped them over again, reaching for the pot of oil he’d seen on the nightstand, and smiled down at the greenrider, teeth gleaming white in the bronzed darkness of his face.

He fumbled the container open, spilling some on Ric’s chest, neither man caring, then took his mouth again while oil-slicked fingers slowly worked inside him, preparing and stretching him. He teased Ric, fingertips gliding over the hard little bump inside him again and again, his cock dripping gleaming strands of precum on the greenrider.

Mewling, Ric wrapped his legs around the bluerider in order to try and get him closer. “Please, please, Mat. Stop teasing me and fly me. You know you want to; you’ve wanted to be in me since the first time you saw me, and I wanted you too. Please give it to me?” R’que begged shamelessly.

“Yes,” Mat groaned, removing his fingers and replacing them with something thicker and harder, pressing home inside the greenrider. “Oh yes,” he gasped, panting, rivulets of sweat running down his chest as he took the other man, possessing him utterly. “So beautiful, mine, Ric, come, that’s it, come for me,” he babbled, praising and commanding in turns.

Using leg muscles made strong by Turns of flying a-dragonback, Ric began to pull himself on and off Mat’s cock, fucking himself and helping Mat fuck him. “Oooooh, there, oooh, so long, perfect, oooh yes, harder, fly me faster, Mat, please, shards, oh shards, FUCK ME!” the younger man babbled almost incoherently.The greenrider’s head tossed from side to side; his body was damp with sweat and his teeth bared into almost a grimace of pain. One hand snaked down to wrap around his cock, and he began to jerk himself off in time with Mat’s pounding.

Ric’s other hand almost viciously twisted his nipples for a time and then, wanting to feel them, he reached under one of his legs and touched Mat’s cock as it slid in and out of him. “Oh, oh jays,” he mewled as the touch was the last thing he needed to send him spiraling over the edge. His come splattered across his stomach to leave a creamy pattern glistening on his skin as his body shivered and shook and his eyes rolled back in his head.

Mat stiffened when Ric tightened around him, groaning at the twin sensations of the tight heat of his body and his fingers just brushing the base of his cock. As he pulled back, he glanced down, seeing himself impaling the greenrider and R’que’s fingertips touching where they were joined. “Jays!” He gasped and shuddered as his own climax ripped through him, sending his seed deep inside his lover.

Spasms of pleasure were still rippling through his body when he slumped over the greenrider, not wanting to separate them yet. He stroked the younger man easily, petting and calming him as they lay together, Ric’s come cooling between them.

“Jays,” he said quietly, pausing to lick at R’que’s throat, “that was incredible.”

“Well, hopefully it was incredible enough to leave a lasting impression beyond this sevenday,” Ric replied with a sleepy smile, cuddling into the heat of the older man. “I know I’ll be remembering this for a long time to come and comparing.”

Mat frowned. That was exactly the reaction he wanted, so why did it bother him? One would almost think that he wanted to keep Ric or something. “You make _quite_ an impression,” he finally said, rolling over onto his back and bringing the greenrider with him. “We should clean up, or we’re going to be a real mess come morning,” he said sleepily.

Ric giggled softly. “It is morning already. You wanted klah, remember? I’m just glad today’s my rest day. I can be lazy and spend the day naked, in bed. I like the sound of that.”

Kissing his way down Mat’s chest, Ric lapped at his seed, something he’d never done before. It was rather strange tasting himself, but he found that he liked the reaction it got, so he continued to delicately bathe the bluerider’s skin until all his cream had been removed. Rubbing his cheek against Mat’s navel, he purred softly. “That was a first, can’t wait to try it again!”

“Jays, have pity and give me a bit to recuperate!” Mat groaned, unable to believe that he already wanted the other man again. “You’re going to wear me out... but what a way to go.”

He grinned at the greenrider. “I could have told you that you tasted good. And for the record, it’s not morning till I’ve had my klah. So there.” He stroked Ric easily, enjoying being with him. “Spending the day in bed sounds good to me, but I think you need to send the little guy with a message to get us some food,” he teased. “We need to keep our strength up.”

Cantor’s head popped up as if he knew the big blue was talking about him, and he proceeded to blow a raspberry at M’tis. _He_ would only move when R’que wanted him to move and not before, and then only if he felt like it!

The greenrider broke out into a fit of giggles, relieved at the tension breaker. “I get the feeling he’s not that impressed by your request, or by you for that matter. I’d say you’ll have to sweet talk him if you want anything.”

“How ‘bout I sweet talk you instead? I’m pretty sure he’ll do what _you_ ask him, and I’ll bet I could make you ask,” Mat chuckled. “And like I said, we’re gonna need food if you expect me to be any good to you during this day in bed.”

“Who’s the blue and who’s the green here?” Ric pouted. “I mean, shouldn’t _you_ be taking care of _me_ , not the other way around?”

“It’s your weyr... and your flit. You’re the host; I’m the guest. That means that you have to show me hospitality,” Mat purred, shifting in the bed so he could slowly lick down Ric’s chest. “The very finest hospitality. Nothing but the best.”

“Oh, gimme a break!” Ric rolled his eyes in disgust.

“What, you don’t think you’re the best? Allow me to disagree.” Mat continued exploring the toned body now splayed beside him, tasting and teasing.

“You think I’m the best?” the greenrider asked hesitantly, a shy smile forming. “I think that’s the sweetest thing anyone ever said to me, thank you, M’tis.”

“Ric? Ric? Are you okay? Is Mat okay? What’s going on?” Justy’s frantic bellow resounded throughout the greenrider’s weyr.

_Seranaeth, why didn’t you tell me Justy was here?_ the young man wailed silently.

_You never asked,_ Sera replied smugly.

“Oh shells!” Whimpering, R’que tried to bury himself under the bluerider. “He’s your cousin; you screamed; _you_ deal with him!”

Mat groaned. “He’s not going to go away, you know. We might as well let him in.” He sighed and raised his voice. “Everybody’s fine, Justy; come on in.” He grabbed for the covers, pulling them up to their waists, and settled back amid the pillows, Ric firmly held in his arms.

“Jays,” Ric moaned hiding further underneath the bluerider.

“What the heck is goin’ on... oh. Oh my! MAT!!”

Eyebrows rising, Mat stared at his cousin. “Yes, that’s my name. I’m Mat, you’re Justy, he’s Ric. Now that we’ve cleared that up, what in the name of the first egg are you doing here?!”

“What am I... what am _I_?” Justy sputtered. “What are _you_ doing in my friend’s bed?! You’d better not have hurt him, Mat; he’s vulnerable!” J’stice snarled, flapping like an irate green flit.

“Hey, wait just a minute here!” R’que interjected, squirming out of the bluerider’s arms to jump to his feet and square off against his friend. “I’m a big boy, Justy. I can take care of myself.”

At the quivering of his friend’s lower lip, R’que sighed and wrapped an arm around the younger man’s shoulder. “But thanks for caring, it means a lot to know I’ve got a friend as good as you. Really.”

Mat sighed. “So much for a day in bed,” he muttered. He glanced at Cantor. “I don’t suppose you’d get someone to send us up some klah and food?” He turned his attention back to the greenriders. “Should I leave?”

“No!”

“Yes!”

“Justy...”

“Well, I don’t want him to take advantage of you...”

“It’s my weyr, remember.”

“Awh shards, are you sure?”

“I know it’s just a temporary thing; I remember what you told me, but he likes me, and I like him. Try and understand.”

“If you hurt him, M’tis...” the HAD threatened, “I’ll sic Chal on you - and Cael and Rej too! I’m going. You come see me tonight, okay?”

“Tomorrow?”

“Fine, tomorrow. Bye!”

Mat stared after his cousin, almost stunned. “I feel like I’ve just been storm tossed. Family is a lot more trouble than you’d think,” he sighed. “Then again, I think he likes you better than he likes me.”

He turned his attention fully to Ric, dismissing Justy from his thoughts. “So, where were we?” He wondered if he should point out that R’que had been naked during that whole scene but decided it was best not to draw his attention to it. Besides, he was enjoying the view.

“Nah, he may like me, but he loves you. He told me so,” Ric replied as he sagged to the bed. “I think _I_ need klah after that! Cant, can you take a hide down to the kitchens for me, please?

Trilling happily, Cantor waited for his master to finish then dashed off _between_ while R’que collapsed onto the bed. “And whirlwind Justy strikes again!” he groaned.

“Just imagine being Chal and _living_ with that all the time,” Mat agreed feelingly. “He exhausts me just thinking about him.” He reached down to grab Ric’s shoulder, tugging him upward till he was back in Mat’s arms.

“Think we have time for a bath?” he suggested. “I like the idea of you and lots and lots of hot water,” he said happily.

“Gonna fuck me in the bathing pool, big man?” the greenrider purred contentedly. “But if you wanna, you’re gonna have to carry me. Your cousin exhausted me!”

“Oh, I think I can manage that... I’ve built up a resistance after knowing him all his life,” Mat laughed, rolling to his feet and scooping Ric up in his arms. Shards, the greenrider felt perfect against him!

He moved into the inner chamber, easily carrying the other man, then stepped into the bathing pool. He sighed his contentment at the sensation of the hot water and sank down to sit on the ledge, Ric in his lap and the heated, soothing liquid covering them to their chests.

“Mmm, this is nice, I could... never mind,” the younger man began, cutting off his sentence as he realized how close he’d come to admitting that he was getting used to Mat being around already. That would have a very foolish thing to admit to, considering who his partner was.

“Wash my back for me?”

“With pleasure,” Mat murmured, hands already stroking the greenrider’s back without benefit of sponge or sweetsand. “I’d be happy to wash your back _and_ your front,” he teased lightly, finally picking up the sponge and running it over Ric’s shoulders.

“This is nice,” he said quietly, not mentioning that he almost never stuck around long enough to do things like this. Usually, he was gone right after the flight, only waiting long enough not to be rude. But this gorgeous greenrider had already gotten under his skin, even if he wasn’t going to admit it, not even to himself.

Ric purred and arched like a feline, stretching his body this way and that in order to get Mat’s hands on every inch of him. “Mmmm, you’ve got wonderful hands, there, oooh, yeah, oh, oh, ohhhhhhhhh,” the greenrider moaned ecstatically as the bluerider worked out a knot in his shoulder, leaving him limp and purring.

Mat burst into laughter, still massaging as he chuckled. “You sound just like a contented feline, Ric! If you weren’t sitting in water, I’d have to start wondering about you.” He finished washing the other man but continued stroking and working his muscles, both of them enjoying it. “Jays, you’re so responsive... I can’t wait to see how you react to all the things I want to do with you.”

“You... you make it sound like you want me around for longer than a sevenday,” the greenrider replied with a shy smile. “Do you?”

Mat stiffened, his whole body tensing as the question registered. But then he thought about this morning, about how much he’d enjoyed being with Ric, _not_ just the sex, and he slowly relaxed again, arms now tight around the greenrider, who’d tried to squirm away at his initial reaction. “Yes,” he said slowly, “I think I do.”

“Hey, I’m not expecting any declarations of undying love here,” Ric said almost defensively as he felt the tensing body, despite the older man’s words. “I just thought maybe you’d be around long enough to teach me a few things. You don’t have to, you know. I won’t die of a broken heart.”

Hearing Ric tell him that he didn’t care if he left made Mat realize that he didn’t want to leave. He wanted to find out why everything was so much better with R’que, wanted to see if maybe it was more.

“Maybe,” he said softly, hesitantly, “maybe I want to find out if it _is_ undying love.”

“I... you do? I’m confused,” Ric admitted softly.

“That’s nothing to how I feel,” Mat sighed, leaning back against the side. “Jays, Justy is going to be _so_ smug.”

“Well, who says we have to tell him right way?” Ric pointed out, forgetting for the moment that his friend was a HAD, one of those rare people who could hear all dragons, and that dragons tended to talk amongst themselves and that he would hear it. “Can’t we just take some time and see if it’s, well, it’s what you said it could be, undying love and all that? I really don’t feel like sharing just yet.”

“Oh, definitely,” Mat said with feeling. “But today or ten Turns from now, Justy will be there saying, ‘I told you so.’ Still, I suppose that he had to get it right eventually, what with the number of men he’s tried to fix me up with.” He smiled slightly. “If he’d started with you, he’d have saved himself a lot of time.”

“Maybe,” R’que conceded with a shy smile, “but maybe I wouldn’t have been ready for you, Weyr’s most formidable lover that you are. I think I needed a little oat sowing under my belt before I was ready for the likes of you,” the greenrider purred, rolling in Mat’s arms to get just that little bit closer to his new lover.

“Or you might have tamed me,” M’tis laughed. “After all, look at Er’ll and R’ven. Who’d ever have thought that _that_ bluerider would fall... and become a menace to table-linens?” He snickered. “But I suppose you’re right, this is the right time for us.” He ran a hand over the water-slick back of his lover. “I’m going to have to thank the curly whirlwind when we do let him know about this,” he sighed ruefully.

“As if anyone can tame you,” Ric snorted, splashing water up at the older man. “Hey, I’m turning into a prune here; can we get out of the water before I’m permanently wrinkled? I mean how attractive would that be?” the younger man bemoaned dramatically. “However would I keep you if I went around looking like one of those silly wrinkle canines you see those flighty holdgirls walking?”

“Ick! What a horrible image.” Mat splashed water back at him then stood up and offered Ric a hand to get up as well. “But you know perfectly well you’d still be gorgeous regardless. So stop fishing for compliments.” He stepped out and picked up a towel, holding it open to the greenrider in invitation.

“Hey, when a homely little thing like me lands the stud of the Weyr, I gotta do something to feel attractive,” Ric replied, teasing, as he walked into the towel and Mat’s arms. “After all, if I don’t make sure you keep noticing me, you may decide to look elsewhere, and then I’d have to kill you, which would be bad!”

M’tis snorted, refusing to dignify that with a reply. “Well then, it’s a very good thing that now that I’ve found you, I don’t really want anyone else.” He dried Ric, then himself, then hugged him tightly. “I never expected this, you,” he said with some confusion.

“You and me both!” R’que admitted in return. “I just thought I was gonna have dinner with a good friend and ended up with a mate instead of dessert. Go figure that one out!”

“Best dessert I’ve ever had.” Mat grinned and drew him to the outer room. Frowning, he eyed his clothes from the night before. “I don’t suppose you have something I could wear? I hate putting on dirty clothes.”

“Um, well let’s see, I’ve got an old shirt that’s way too big on me and a pair of jersey pants that should stretch to fit you?” Ric offered, padding over to the clothes press and rummaging around to find the clothes that might or might not have been left by a past lover, something he was _not_ going to tell Mat! He just couldn’t recollect where he’d gotten the clothes was all.

As Ric bent over the press, the towel unknotted itself at his waist and slid down off lean hips to reveal an upturned ass, legs slightly spread, cock and balls dangling enticingly, as he searched for the offered garments.

“On second thought that can wait,” Mat said huskily as he fitted himself along Ric’s back, cock pressing between his cheeks. One hand glided forward over his hip and down between his thighs to cup the heavy sac, and he bit down gently on the nape of R’que’s neck.

Moaning quietly, R’que very carefully closed the press then leaned forward, draping himself across it so that he was braced more firmly, his legs spread more widely. “Mat,” he sighed, eyes closing as he felt the bluerider nudge more firmly between his widespread cheeks, the older man’s mouth marking yet another portion of his flesh. He felt vulnerable and protected, weak and strong and all because of the man covering him so well, touching him so provocatively. “Please, need you,” he admitted with a quiet mewl of hunger.

“Jays, neither of us is going to be able to walk, never mind sit down,” M’tis half-groaned even as he pressed forward, the head of his cock sliding past the still somewhat loose opening. “Want you all the time,” he rasped, still gliding into his lover—his mate?--until his entire length was sheathed in the tight heat.

The hand between Ric’s legs rolled the sensitive balls, teasing the greenrider as Mat fought to hold still. He wanted to move, but he wanted this to last, to take it slow and easy, and he knew he wouldn’t be able to if he didn’t control himself first.

Whimpering hungrily, Ric moved forward a fraction, into Mat’s hand, and then thrust back, sighing at the slick slide of Mat’s cock. “You feel so good inside me. I could learn to get addicted to this feeling,” the greenrider sighed happily, spreading his legs wider still and settling more comfortably onto his arms. “C’mon, Mat, plow me!”

Laughing huskily, the bluerider placed a series of nipping kisses along the upper part of R’que’s spine. “Not this time, greenie. This time we’re doing it my way, long and slow, until you’re begging me to let you come. And when I do, it’s going to feel so good,” he purred, now suckling on a velvety earlobe.

“But Maaaat!” R’que whined trying to move his hips a little faster, his ass cheeks rubbing against the older man’s pubic hair, enjoying the rough abrasion against his tender skin. “If you do that, it’ll take _forever_ to come!”

“Exactly. I’m going to fly you all morning,” Mat promised recklessly. He knew he would never be able to hold out that long, especially not with Ric squirming and begging, but it was such fun to tease; he was so damn responsive. A low purr of appreciation rumbled through his chest, and he finally moved his hips slightly, pulling back a tiny bit before pushing back again.

“Argh! You’re trying to kill me, aren’t you?” the younger man groaned, his legs quivering as the slight movement of the bluerider’s hips only served to keep his hunger on a razor’s edge without allowing him to fall over. “Gonna end up a mindless, whimpering sex toy at this rate - only good for fucking!”

“Nawww, that’s only for when we’re alone,” Mat chuckled darkly. “The rest of the time that quick mind is going to keep me hopping.” He drew back a little farther this time, again stilling while Ric writhed beneath him, then pushed deep inside him. The hand that had been playing with the greenrider’s balls now feathered up the rigid shaft, teasing him with a touch so light it could barely be felt.

Mewling continuously, Ric decided to try another tact to get what he wanted and began to undulate his ass muscles so they fluttered around Mat’s invading cock. Sinking his teeth into his arm to prevent any more sounds from emerging from his throat, the greenrider continued to taunt his lover with his muscle control, milking him for all he was worth.

Gasping, Mat let his head fall back as the pleasure raced through him, and he allowed himself one full, hard stroke into his demanding lover before he pulled back all the way, slipping out of Ric’s ass. Before the greenrider could react, he’d sunk to his knees, and his tongue was exploring him, tracing the sensitive ring and occasionally pushing the tip the slightest bit inside.

“Nooooo, Mat!” R’que wailed, already missing the hard flesh that had only moments before been buried in his ass. “I want _you_ , dammit!” If the greenrider could have stamped his foot, he would have; he wasn’t used to not being given what he wanted. Ric had always been able to manipulate his lovers into doing exactly as _he_ had pleased in the past, but M’tis was proving to be more than a little difficult. “Stop teasing, I want your cock!”

Mat stopped rimming him long enough to reply, remaining so close that every syllable sent puffs of breath over the wet, sensitized flesh. “And you’ll get it... when I decide you should.” Ignoring the renewed protest, he returned to what he’d been doing, reveling in the musky flavor of his lover mixed with his own seed.

R’que finally ran out of steam and just gaped as he was teased mercilessly. No past lover had _ever_ told him no before; they’d been only too happy to plow him but Mat... “Don’t you want to be inside me?” the younger man asked, his lower lip quivering for effect even though it couldn’t be seen and his breath hitching in his throat as he pulled out all the stops.

“Almost as much as you want me there, gorgeous,” Mat laughed, finally standing up and spinning Ric around and into his arms. “But no way are you going to manipulate me into getting your own way all the time.” Smirking at the stunned expression, he took R’que’s mouth again, two fingers sliding inside the greenrider and stroking over his prostate.

“I wasn’t manipu-,” Ric’s breath hitched as his prostate was massaged expertly, “manipulating, really. I was just encouraging you rather vocally,” the greenrider said, trying to defend and write off his actions as less than manipulative.

“Uh huh. Of _course_ you were,” Mat replied, patently unconvinced. “And you can encourage me all you want; I certainly enjoy it. But that doesn’t change the fact that you’re not going to get every single thing you want the moment you want it just because you bat those pretty brown eyes.” His fingers mercilessly stroked the sensitive gland, making Ric squirm and moan, and he smiled.

“M-Mat, I’ll be good, I promise, just... oh shells... please I really, _really_ need you to fuck me before I die from wanting you!” R’que pleaded shamelessly, his hips canting into each thrust of fingers, his own hands curling into balled fists and gouging the soft flesh of his palms with his nails.

Biting back a groan as his own lust climbed, Mat pulled his fingers free, prompting another wail of protest, and gripping Ric’s waist, raised him onto the edge of the press. Staring into the passion-filled eyes, he pushed back inside the squirming greenrider. The sensation of the clinging passage fitting around him like a glove tore a growl from him, and he began thrusting hard and fast, pounding into the younger man, possessing him.

Gasping and wriggling on M’tis’ cock, R’que wrapped his legs around his man’s waist, clinging with arms and legs, riding out every thrust, punctuating it with a whimper or a mewl of pleasure. Without realizing it, the greenrider began to chant over and over and over again the same phrase, “Fuck me, Mat, shells fuck me!”

“That’s. What. I’m. Doing!” Each word was punctuated by another bone-jarring thrust as Mat slammed into the greenrider, wild with arousal and the need to claim his mate. “Mine, all mine,” he growled, lowering his head to worry at a pebbled nipple, his belly rasping over Ric’s cock with every movement.

Ric’s body arched into an impossible bow, and his eyes rolled back in his head as a hungry scream made its way out and bounced off the stone walls of the sleeping chamber. “MAT!!!!!!!!!!” he wailed, his body wracked with shudders produced by the most intense orgasm of his life so far.

M’tis somehow managed to hold back, to watch Ric come with hungry eyes and still hold onto his control while the tight passage grew tighter still, clamping down and rippling around him. Only when the tremors had slowed and grown far apart, though not yet over, did he let himself go and begin to drive into his lover rapidly. Perhaps half a dozen strokes more and he was yelling his own climax, body shuddering and seed filling the other man.

Sagging back, his hands letting go of Mat to catch his weight on his elbows, Ric looked up at the bluerider with adoring eyes. “Can I be your slave for life?” he purred, sated and replete. “I promise to do anything and everything you want just... keep making my toes curl and igniting fireballs in my body!”

Laughing tiredly, Mat carefully withdrew from him and stood up, bracing himself with a slightly shaky hand against the wall. “It’ll be my pleasure,” he promised, smiling down at the limp, sweaty greenrider.

He glanced around them back at Ric. “You know, my weyr is bigger.”

“So how come we’re still here?” R’que asked logically with a beguiling smile. “Then again who has the energy to move right now?”

Looking down at him, come-spattered, sweaty, Mat snickered. “I think we need another bath... and then there’s the whole packing issue.” He looked around in dismay. “You have so much stuff.”

“After another nap?” Ric begged artlessly, eyes full of hope at being able to curl up in his nice fluffy bed with the nice hard bluerider who was his... “Does this mean we’re mates now?” he asked, not really surprised when his voice hitched and squeaked slightly.”

“Mmm, good idea.” Mat pulled him to his feet and steered them toward the bed, dropping down with a contented sigh and an armful of cuddly greenrider. “And yes, it does. I certainly didn’t expect even a date from one of Justy’s dinners, but now that I’ve found you, I’m certainly not going to be dumb enough to let you go, even if it does mean that I have to let my giddy cousin gloat.”

“Oh, I’m sure he wouldn’t gloat. He’ll just tell everyone he knows that he’s responsible for making us the happiest newly mated couple in the Weyr, is all,” the greenrider laughed, curling even closer to his lover and now mate, loving the feel of Mat surrounding and holding him tight.

Mat groaned. “That’s almost enough to make me give you back... but we can always hide from Justy... Oh _shards_!” Seeing the concerned expression on Ric’s face, he explained, “How much you want to bet he writes a song about us and gets that crazy harper friend of his to set it to music?”

R’que meeped in dismay and buried his face in Mat’s chest. “Nononono! Shards, not Hal!!! That harper is... downright scary!”

“Aww, he’s not so bad now that he doesn’t try to write the _words_ to songs anymore. He’s actually pretty interesting... and watching him and his armscrafter is certainly educational.” Mat snickered, remembering some of the things those two had gotten up to.

“Yeah, and at least he’s occupied enough that he’s not going to try to chase _us_ around the way he chased after C’lan and R’jer, singing those atrocious songs and being muzzled by a flit!” the greenrider shuddered in remembrance.

“Oh yeah, that was _bad_. But he’s safely occupied with Kaveran, so we can just concentrate on each other.” Mat stroked Ric’s back, enjoying the weight of him in his arms. “Weyrmate.” He said the word, testing it out, and he smiled. “My weyrmate.”

Ric purred and snuggled even deeper into his lover. “Say that again. I like it when you say that,” the greenrider smiled up at his lover. “I like hearing you say that I’m yours.”

“Good thing because I plan to be saying it a lot... like every time some blue gets the wrong idea and comes near you,” he growled. “You know, maybe Er’ll’s got the right idea after all.”

“Throwing tablecloths on his mate like a crazy person?” Ric retorted indignantly. “I don’t _think_ so! You do Mr. Too-butch-for-words-bluerider and I’m gonna do something extreme - like strip off completely!”

“Mmmm, yum! All the more reason to do it,” Mat laughed. “But I was actually thinking more of the growling at poachers than table linens. If anyone else starts doing that, no rider is going to be welcome anywhere on Pern! The ladies already cringe when we visit thanks to him.”

“Tell me about it. That man is certifiable, and it’s not like Rave even does anything. That greenie’s besotted with his blue, no doubt of that,” Ric commented with a laugh. “Just like I am. So what if other blues look at me, Mat, I know who I belong to - you.”

“I’m never going to get tired of hearing that,” M’tis replied, hugging him close. “My only question now is do we go down to the dininghall for food and brave Justy, or do we see what Cantor brought back, assuming he did come back while we were distracted? Of course, if my dear cousin does pounce on us, we can make him help us pack up your things and move you to my weyr.”

“I’m voting for what Cant brought. I want to spend the entire day in bed with you. I can move in tomorrow,” Ric yawned, feeling relaxed and sleepy and not really wanting to move from the comfort of his lover’s arms.

“Good plan,” Mat approved, too comfortable to move. “And this gives us another day to make Justy wait to hear the details,” he chuckled.

“Thank the stars for that!” Ric sighed. “He’s way too high maintenance to deal with right now.”

“Tell me about it! I don’t know how N’chal deals with it all the time... then again, he has his own ways of tiring him out.” Mat pressed a kiss to Ric’s shoulder. “I really am going to have to thank him, though, even if he will be smug.”

“Tomorrow. You can thank him tomorrow; we both can,” R’que replied, turning his head to capture his lover’s, no, his _mate’s_ mouth. “After you’ve fucked me senseless half a dozen or so more times.”


End file.
